Heartfelt, witty, and thoroughly engaging, Sonali Dev s debut is both
a vivid exploration of modern India and a deeply honest story of love,
in all its diversity. Mili Rathod hasn t seen her husband in twenty
years not since she was promised to him at the age of four. Yet marriage
has allowed Mili a freedom rarely given to girls in her village. Her
grandmother has even allowed her to leave India and study in America for
eight months, all to make her the perfect modern wife. Which is exactly
what Mili longs to be if her husband would just come and claim her.
Bollywood s favourite director, Samir Rathod, has come to Michigan to
secure a divorce for his older brother. Persuading a naïve village girl
to sign the papers should be easy for someone with Samir s
tabloid-famous charm. But Mili is neither a fool nor a gold-digger.
Open-hearted yet complex, she s trying to reconcile her independence
with cherished traditions. And before he can stop himself, Samir is
immersed in Mili s life cooking her dal and rotis, escorting her to her
roommate s elaborate Indian wedding, and wondering where his loyalties
and happiness lie.